THE Evening Press has joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Relief to challenge the people of York to find an unusual location for a coffee morning - and raise much-needed cash for cancer patients in our area.

The charity's most successful fundraising event, 'The World's Biggest Coffee Morning', returns for its twelfth year on September 27, but this time it has a twist.

We are seeking out the wacky, innovative or just downright silly coffee mornings. Send in the details of your event and you could be in with a chance to win one of our prizes!

For the most unusual coffee morning, there is a prize of two First Class return tickets from York to King's Cross, courtesy of GNER.

There will also be two runners-up prizes of dinner for two at The Blue Bicycle restuarant, in Fossgate, and a day pass to Livingwell Premier, the health centre in Nether Poppleton, York.

We've already snapped some of York's well-known residents supping coffee in their chosen locations to show you just what we're looking for.

But getting a few friends together for a quick cuppa in your kitchen or canteen is equally valid as you join in with over 15,000 similar events across the country.

All the money you raise will go towards the Macmillan York Appeal, which was launched in June. The appeal is aiming to raise £400,000 to fund three new specialist posts - a head and neck clinical nurse, a lead cancer nurse and a GP facilitator.

Macmillan was recently rated as the most effective charity by Peers in a survey by nfpSynergy, a think tank dedicated to the not-for-profit sector.

"We know that there are some ingenious people out there," said Alex Emsley, Macmillan Cancer Relief's York Appeal Co-ordinator. "Every single person that decides to hold a coffee morning, be it up a flagpole or at work or home, is going to help us make a huge difference for local people living with cancer and their families."

If you would like to register for a coffee morning or would like more information about the local appeal, call Alex Emsley on 01904 756402. Alternatively, log on to www.worldsbiggestcoffeemorning.com

And start sending us your ideas as soon as possible - you don't have to wait for September 27!

Send them in to Zoe Walker, York & County Press, PO Box 29, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

Updated: 11:42 Monday, August 19, 2002